Walking Among the Dead
by runia24
Summary: A mysterious ghost trainer and his gaggle of ghouls, a ninja and her pain-in-the-neck Absol, and the clueless son of a Gym Leader and his troop of thunderheads make even the simplest of journeys nothing short of exciting.
1. And So They Meet

Greetings, and welcome to "Walking Among the Dead." I shall not bore you with a bunch of nonsense, so let me just say that Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak, and that not all original characters are mine, but I have been given permission to use them.

---

Ambulando Cum Mortuis: by runia24

Chapter 1: And So They Meet

---

There's a certain vibe one can get from a person, even a stranger, which gives one a strong indication that they are out of their element. Usually, this is an indication of weakness, since a fish out of water is not liable to do anything but splash, and I'm sure we all know how useful _that _is, but under certain circumstances, the odd feeling can mean something quite different. Not strength, quite, but an odd sort of idea that if they were in their proper place, things would be very grave indeed.

A tall man was walking through a large, sunny field, and there could be no mistake that he was very much out of place in his surroundings. Beside him was a hint at why he was so uncomfortable- a pale, very translucent Haunter that looked downright disturbed by the sunny climate in which he found himself. Oddly enough, the haunter and his trainer looked remarkably alike. The trainer had sharp features and a thin, almost spectral build, and his hair was quite unusual - dark purple and spiked so it almost mimicked the shape of a Haunter's head. He couldn't have been a day over thirty, but there was something about him that seemed terribly old, with the emphasis placed upon the term "terror."

Well, perhaps I exaggerate a little - he was not quite as frightening as he could have been, given the accuracy of the above description. It was, after all, a beautiful spring day, and the ghost trainer seemed more than a little lost, which somewhat deterred from any fear he may have caused.

Meanwhile, a slender young woman was lying on her back on the plush grass, admiring the brilliant blue sky with its scattered clouds drifting silently across the wide expanse. She stretched and sat up, brushing the bothersome, dark bangs out of her amber eyes. "Beautiful day…isn't it, Ginger?" she said slowly, glancing over at the Absol sprawled out lazily beside her.

Ginger lifted her furry head, blinking wearily at the trainer, before beaming. "But how long have we been sitting out here? Certainly someone would've come by now." The Pokemon blinked again, then rose onto all fours, sniffing the ground in case a passersby or two had slipped by them during their lethargic phase. "I see you're itching for a battle too." She laughed. "Don't worry. Someone will come…eventually."

She was right, as there were two trainers coming her way. One was the ghost trainer mentioned earlier, and the other was a young male with spiky blond hair, his outfit making him look like he had just left boot camp.

The kid saw something in the distance, something curious enough for him to increase his pace to a run, and eventually to a sprint. Apparently ignoring the ground below him, he then tripped over a rock and landed flat on his face. Mumbling something incoherent on his misfortune, he quickly got up was about to run, when he looked to his left to find out he was already at his destination.

The mysterious girl scanned the area. "Maybe I spoke too soon. Ginger?" Her friend was missing. "Ginger?! Where are you?!"

The Absol had run off, approaching the wandering trainer who looked like he had taken a bad tumble. She sat down beside him, tilting her head in speculation, and then gave him a look that said, quite plainly, "What an idiot."

The girl got up and walked over towards her Pokemon and the other trainer, helping him back on his feet.

"Thank you," he said, dusting himself off and making sure he didn't break any bones.

"Oh no, it's quite alright. Glad you're not hurt."

"Aw, I've been through worse."

The ghost trainer soon noticed the pair of trainers not far ahead. He sighed a little. He hated asking for directions, especially from humans, but it really couldn't be helped. He was supposed to be in Fortree City in less than a week, and it wouldn't help any if he got stuck wandering around these blasted fields for the rest of the day.

"Pandora, why don't you go on ahead and ask about directions?" he asked. From such a frightening figure, it would have seemed like a command to most, but the Haunter at his side just snickered. He knew full well his trainer was just nervous. Still, he had some sympathy, and so he did as he was asked.

Pandora, the Haunter, zipped quickly off, doing a few quick tumbles in the air as he headed over to the trainers and the pokemon.

"Well since you saved my life, the least I can do is introduce myself. The name's Michael," he smiled, his arm reaching over for a handshake.

The action was returned, and she smiled. "My name is Sidney, and this is my friend, Ginger," Sidney gestured to the white Pokemon still watching Michael carefully with those big, black eyes.

"Well it's nice to meet you, but I guess I should be on my…" he stopped, finally noticing the Absol. From the looks of it, Sidney was a Pokemon trainer, and since he was a Pokemon trainer, the logical thing to do was challenge her to a battle, right?

"Wanna battle?"

"A battle?" Today must've been her lucky day. "Sure, why not? I'm warning you though. She's a tough one." The Absol brandished the blade on her head, appearing very proud.

Pandora stopped short of the group, a little wary of the Absol. "Haunt haunter (excuse me)" he said, speaking in the Pokemon language, "Haunt haunter haunt haunt haunter, haunt haunter haunt haunter? (But before you two beat each other up, could I get some directions over here?)"

Cassius, the ghost trainer, was a fair distance away from his pokemon, walking quickly to catch up. He was a little worried about what his Haunter friend might say, but reasonably confident that even Pandora wouldn't try and start something in broad daylight between two trainers.

"Oh, what a cute Pokemon!" Sidney exclaimed. Cute was probably not the best word to describe a ghost Pokemon.

Ginger, who tore her gaze away from Michael, saw the Haunter hovering just above her and panicked. She Slashed at the other Pokemon, missing on purpose, then proceeded to rear up on her hind legs, attempting to appear threatening.

"Ginger! Stop it!" Sidney pulled her Pokemon back. "I'm really sorry," she said to the approaching trainer, holding the Absol. "She doesn't like ghosts."

"You don't say?" Michael mused.

"So I see," said Cassius, glaring at the Absol. He was almost as wary of the dark pokemon as Pandora was, and seemed to take Ginger's dislike of ghosts as a personal offense. Pandora, happy to have his trainer nearby again, backed off away from the Absol, just out of slashing distance, then stuck his tongue out at her cheekily.

"I'm sorry to bother you two," said Cassius, ignoring his Pokemon's antics, "but would you happen to know which way it is to the nearest city? I seem to be a bit...lost."

Ginger was purring. But it wasn't a contented purr, it was a purr of loathing. She was glaring at the trainer now, and she struggled to free herself from Sidney's grasp. "Ginger! Hold...ugh...still!" But she wasn't listening. "Do you really want to return to your Pokeball?!"

Surprisingly, the Absol stopped. She hated her Pokeball. She had always been free, and when she was captured she was kept as the family pet. But she still looked at Cassius with extreme dislike. "The nearest city? In all honesty, I haven't set foot inside a city in days. I have a base out here."

Cassius was a little surprised by the trainer's response, and a fair bit disappointed. "Do you know the general direction, perhaps? I've been completely turned around, I'm afraid, and I think I've been running in circles," he admitted, trying to ignore the instinct to try and drop kick the growling Absol. Pandora was doing his best to draw the dark pokemon away from his trainer, doing a few back flips and making faces at Ginger.

The Haunter's taunts enraged the dark Pokemon, but she continued to obey her trainer and refrain from doing anything rash...like grabbing that Haunter's tongue and removing it with her blade.

Before Michael could tell him that he was on his way to Fortree and would be happy to give directions, the young lady spoke up. "I might," Sidney gave Cassius a wry smile. "I could probably show you where the nearest town is, but my memory is a bit foggy. Perhaps a battle would refresh it."

She released her Pokemon, who still wouldn't take her eyes off the mysterious trainer. He had a strange aura about him, one that made the tiny hairs all over her body stand on end. "You are a trainer, aren't you? Our Pokemon both look restless. A battle would more than likely do them some good."

Michael, feeling all but ignored, frowned. He had challenged Sidney to a battle first, but it seemed she had already forgotten about that.

Cassius hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Pandora's eyes widened as he saw his trainer accept, in a sort of "You can't be serious!" expression. It was mid day, and he was weak to dark types! Cassius murmured something under his breath, "Haunt haunter haunter, haunt. (You were asking for it, Pan.)" and Pandora really couldn't argue with that.

The ghost trainer backed up several paces, making room for a battlefield. Pandora floated over to his trainer's side, sulking.

Sidney did the same, leaving a few yards of space between her and Cassius. Ginger took her place between her trainer and the enemy, acting like Christmas had come early. "Are you sure you just want to use your Haunter? He has a type disadvantage." She thought hard for a moment, lifting her hand to scratch her head. "Wouldn't you rather do two-on-two…or maybe one-on-one with two or more Pokemon?"

The yin-yang colored Pokemon glanced back at her trainer, fixing her with an impatient stare.

"I'm afraid bringing in more of my pokemon wouldn't help me much," admitted Cassius, "all of my pokemon are ghost types. I'm sure Pandora will do fine, though, he has one or two tricks up his sleeves… figuratively speaking."

Pandora grinned a little, spinning around his disembodied hands to illustrate his trainer's point.

"A double battle would be just fine, though," he added, glancing at the other trainer. "If two of us use one pokemon each, and the other uses two, it should end up a fair fight."

Michael nodded. "I certainly don't mind. Sidney and I were about to battle anyway, right?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I was supposed to battle you, wasn't I?" Sidney slapped her forehead.

"No, it's no big deal. Technically we're still battling each other, right?"

Sidney nodded. "Alright then." Deciding not to waste anymore time, she reached for a Pokeball at her waist. "Silvien, come out!"

Tossing the ball into the air, it burst open with a brilliant flash of light, releasing the serpent-like Pokemon contained inside. The Milotic released an extended battle cry, sounding more like a sweet song than an actual bellow. "My Absol and Milotic versus your Pokemon. Choose now."

Pandora sighed a little, annoyed at having to work with another pokemon, but Cassius had trained him a little in two-on-two fights, for the occasional double gym battle, and maybe with a teammate he could show that stupid Absol who was boss. Preferably a teammate who could use Rain Dance or something, and get that blasted sunlight out of his face.

Michael pondered which Pokemon he would chose for a moment, then made his move. "Proton, I choose you!" he threw his Pokeball out into the open field.

Like Silvien, the Manectric appeared on the field in a blast of red light. The electric type looked quite calm, though.

"Ready to battle, Proton?" Michael asked his Pokemon, who nodded in response, gearing into battle position.

"We're ready when you are" said Cassius. He idly fingered one of his other pokeballs, wondering if Pandora was really the best choice for the match, but if his partner had an electric type... perhaps they could win after all.

---

And so that ends the first chapter of this little tale. Who will be victorious? Why can Cassius speak Pokemon? And who won the 1998 Heisman Trophy? Some of these questions and more will be answered in the next chapter!


	2. And So They Battle

I would like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, and added this story to their favorites. If you didn't do any of the latter two, what are you waiting for?! Anyway, here's the next chapter. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak, and not all original characters are mine, but I have been given permission to use them. Thank you and enjoy.

---

Ambulando Cum Mortuis: by runia24

Chapter 2: And So They Battle

---

Sidney decided to launch the first attack. "Hmm, that Manectric might be a hazard for Silvien. She couldn't have him use Rain Dance without the risk of boosting the other Pokemon's electric attacks as well. "Silvien! Ice Beam!" She decided she was going to use an all out offense with her Milotic.

Silvien reared back his head, then fired a long string of ice assaults at Proton. "Ginger. You know what to do," she said, speaking quietly to the Absol. The Pokemon nodded then began prancing about, brandishing her blades again. Swords Dance was the only way to increase attack.

Cassius knew full well there wasn't much he could do about the Absol, but if the Milotic was going after his ally, there was certainly something he could do about that. He smiled to himself, getting into the swing of the battle and putting on that signature expression of his that every gym challenger he'd ever had would describe as "downright creepy." "Haunter, haunt haunter (Pandora, thunderbolt)," he said, speaking openly in the Pokemon language; another of his favorite scare tactics.

Pandora giddily obeyed, summoning the electric attack and tossing it at the Milotic. He'd know the attack all his life, and remembered it even all these years after death.

Mike was taken aback from the Haunter's attack. He was expecting his Pokemon to handle all the electric attacks, but not Proton had to handle the incoming Ice Beam.

The Manectric ducked, the blue beam harmlessly passing over him, just nipping the tip of his mane, making look like an ice cream cone with a icicle dip.

Sidney panicked. She didn't know Haunter learned Thunderbolt! Then again, she never owned one to begin with. "Look out! Mir--"

She didn't have to finish her order. Silvien shielded himself in a reflective veil. When the powerful lightning attack stuck him, he doubled over in pain...but the attack bounced off, coming straight back at Pandora. Ginger continued to dance as her fellow Pokemon battled on the front lines. If Silvien could just hold out a bit longer...

Pandora panicked a little when he saw his own attack zooming back at him, but the reflection had somewhat scattered his concentrated beam of lightning. Curling up quickly, a wave of electricity passed over him, but he emerged from it only lightly singed.

"Confuse Ray, Pandora, on that dancing Absol," said Cassius.

Confuse ray was one of his favorite attacks, and he grinned viciously as he spread his hands, sending the attack towards the powered up Absol.

"Proton, use Crunch on that Milotic!" the blond-haired kid commanded. The electric type nodded, bearing its large fangs, ready to pounce upon and sink his teeth into some seafood.

Ginger felt the effects Pandora's attack immediately and tripped over her own feet in the middle of her dance, and Silvien was busy trying to shake Proton off his neck. A quick thwack of the tail sent the Manectric soaring, but he still managed to land on his feet, none the worse for wear.

The opening attack had worked, though not as well as Michael had wanted to. "Guess it's time to bring out the big guns. Rain Dance!"

Now it was the Manectric's turn to dance, though this one brought thunderclouds that blocked out the sun instead of increasing attack. Soon enough the surrounding area was raining.

"Ginger! Taunt!" The Absol staggered to her feet, swaying a bit, then turned her back to Pandora. She wagged her tail, practically mooning the Haunter. If she could speak, she would have said, "Give me your best shot, punk!"

Lucky for Silvien, the delay gave him just enough time to use Recover, his special move. The rain also helped to sooth his wounds.

Cassius opened his mouth to warn Pandora not to fall for Ginger's taunting, but he realized that he would be wasting his breath to try.

With the Absol and Haunter preoccupied with each other, and the Milotic recovering, that left the Manectric to make his move. "Thunder!" Michael called out, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.

Thunder crackled above the trainers and Pokemon as Sidney called out for Silvien to use a Surf attack.

As if by magic (or some strange plot hole), water began rising around the Milotic, waves lapping his sides and cradling him. It lifted him up, the waves becoming more violent and thrashing about, until it towered above everyone, Silvien riding it like a pro. Then he saw Proton's electric attack coming at him, but he was too focused on his current attack to protect himself. "NOOO!"

The lightning bolt came in contact with the water Silvien had summoned, electricity running through the particles faster than a person could blink. Silvien let out a cry as he was painfully electrocuted, then tumbled back from the top of the wave, his body smoking as he fell. "Silvien! Return!" The Pokemon was sucked back into his Pokeball. Sidney saved her dear water Pokemon before he was hurt even more by the fall. The water attack had failed to be used, and, therefore, disappeared.

But before the waves could do that, Cassius had already built up a Nightshade attack in self-defense. The dark vines disappeared as quickly as they appeared once the waves were gone. Cassius sighed in relief, but then mentally scolded himself for letting himself get carried away like that. He hoped neither trainer had noticed that little spectacle of his.

"Hrr. You're on your own Ginger. I believe in you." The dark Pokemon cocked her head at her trainer, a very dazed expression on her face. What did her trainer just say? She said what's-its? Obviously Ginger was still very out of it after Confuse Ray.

It was Cassius's turn to call out an attack, but the purple-haired trainer hesitated for a moment, annoyed that all his strategies had been ruined by the Absol's taunting. Pandora, on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted to do: make that cheeky Absol eat her words. But, since he didn't know any attacks to do that, he settled for another Thunderbolt. He summoned his electric attack dramatically, then let it loose, tumbling through the air at his rather confused looking dark opponent.

"Time to scatter!" That was Sidney's way of saying it was time to use Double Team.

Ginger needed to concentrate. She shook off her confused state, and then took off running at an alarming pace. She raced in circles around Pandora and Proton, until it was hard to tell where she was. It almost looked as if five or more Absol had surrounded them. Pandora's attack hit one, the illusion vanishing, but there were still quite a few left.

"Return!" But Sidney wasn't telling her Pokemon to back off. If was time to demonstrate the strong bond the two shared. The "real" Ginger charged the Manectric, hitting him with everything she had. Thanks to Swords Dance, she felt pumped. She attacked him again, and again, each time the attack becoming stronger and more rapid.

Michael could only watch in shock at the Absol's assault on his Manectric. "Proton, can you still fight?" he asked. The Pokemon nodded in affirmation, but the attack had done quite a bit of damage; the Manectric was on his last legs.

"Take her out now, before she double teams again!" yelled Cassius, wincing as Proton was attacked. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to help his ally then, with Pandora's defensive capabilities currently overpowered by anger.

Pandora charged, waiting until he was only a few feet from Absol before releasing a third thunderbolt. He stopped as he released the attack, thrown back a little in the opposite direction after he released the attack.

"Proton, use Ice Fang. Aim for the Absol's ankles and try to freeze it to the ground," Michael ordered.

Ginger attempted to dodge the attack, but it managed to strike dead on, sending her sliding across the ground, one of her legs now covered in ice, and thanks to the rain, stuck to the ground.

"No, Ginger. You have to get up!" She tried to, her three non-frozen legs very wobbly. Ginger felt like she could barely move.

No! She wouldn't lose this way. Ginger may not be able to stand anymore, but she could still use special attacks.

She twisted her head around to look the Haunter dead in the eye, then a dark ball of energy began to grow before her. The Shadow Ball hovered in the air, and then she sent the attack straight in Pandora's direction. After all, ghosts hated attacks of their element.

"_A Shadow Ball of that strength could finish off a Haunter in one hit_," Michael thought. "Proton, I want you to take the hit for Pandora." Both human and Pokemon had a grim look on their faces, but they both knew it would be best if they wanted to win the battle.

The Manectric leapt in the nick of time, the Shadow Ball hitting him square in the chest, causing him to fly back quite a bit. He landed roughly, and Mike instantly knew he wasn't going to get back up. "Proton, return," he said, his Pokemon being sucked into its ball. "You did great. Looks like it's all up to you," he said, the last sentence meant for Cassius.

"Thanks," said Cassius, and Pandora seemed to agree, wiping the imaginary sweat off his imaginary eyebrows. "Pandora, Nightshade!"

The ghost Pokemon, relieved, did exactly that, giggling a little as he sent shadowy vines out to wind about and reinforce the leech seed attack his ally had used earlier. They were much more concrete than Cassius's earlier attack, even digging roots into the ground to take advantage of the rain.

"That's enough. You win." Sidney didn't want to see her best friend endure anymore abuse. But Ginger wasn't ready to give up just yet. Before the vines drained the last of her energy, she began singing...or what could be assumed as singing. It almost sounded like the sound a Meowth would make to the moon at night, but this one was just eerie. "Ginger! What are you doing?"

But the Absol ignored her trainer, continuing to moan the haunting melody...until she fainted from exhaustion. "No... I didn't tell her to use Perish Song!"

Michael immediately covered his ears, trying to block out the loud, chilling song.

Cassius also needed no prompting to recognize a Perish Song when he heard one. He turned away, clutching his hands to his ears in a futile attempt to keep out the music. The song was useless on humans, and his physical body did help block its effects, but hearing one was certainly not a pleasant experience for the ghost trainer.

Pandora stopped attacking immediately when he heard the song, rushing to his trainer's side. He gave Ginger a look of pure venom, then touched one claw to one of Cassius' Pokeballs. A Misdreavus appeared, and the Haunter said a few words to her, explaining the situation. With that said, he jumped back into his own Pokeball, leaving the other ghost in his place to prevent the song's power from affecting him.

Sidney rushed to her Pokemon's side, retrieving a Revive from her bag as she did so. She forced her mouth open, pouring the revitalizing liquid down her throat. Ginger's eyes remained shut for a long time, but they finally fluttered open, and the pink pupils darted left and right, hoping to find the Pokemon that did this too her. She looked back up at her trainer. "Sorry, girl...but we lost." Ginger sulked, violently bringing her paw down on the ground in frustration.

The Misdreavus was also searching for medicine, but not for herself. She opened Cassius's bag, digging around for his stash of potions and antidotes. "Cassius needs help, I can't open the bottle!" she said, trying to find something less well sealed as she appealed for any sort of assistance.

Meanwhile, Cassius had sunk to the ground. He looked to be in a fair bit of pain, as indeed he was, and he struggled to retain consciousness as the song took effect.

Michael looked at Cassius, concerned, but also confused. The Misdreavus finally caught his attention. He didn't understand what the ghost Pokemon was saying, but she was holding a bottle and pointing towards Cassius. Mike didn't need to put two and two together to figure what he needed to do.

He grabbed the bottle, twisted it open, and handed it back to the Misdreavus, who didn't thank Mike as she quickly floated back to her trainer.

Suddenly, it hit him. The Haunter-esque hair, the ghost Pokemon, the fact that he could speak Pokemon and well just his plain creepiness. This was Cassius, the Lavender Town Gym Leader.

"Ginger...would a Sitrus berry make you feel better?" The Absol nodded rapidly, bounding up onto her feet. Sidney found the yellow fruit and offered it to her Pokemon, who took it into her mouth and wandered off a bit to munch on it.

Just then, one of the Pokeballs attached to Sidney's waist opened on its own, and a rather handsome Mightyena appeared.

"What do you think you're doing, Rex?" The dog ignored her. He was watching Ginger. "She's fine. But she's not in a good mood. I think it would be wise to leave her alone." But Rex was stubborn. He moseyed over to his fellow Pokemon, giving her a pointy-toothed grin.

Ginger knew who was behind her, and she slowly turned her head around to glare and the intruder. A low growl rumbled in her throat. Out of all of Sidney's Pokemon, Rex was the only one she couldn't stand. He actually _volunteered_ to join Sidney's team because he was so infatuated with her.

He took a step closer, despite Ginger's warning, and the white Pokemon aimed a kick at him, hitting him on the snout. The Mightyena howled in pain, yelping all the way back over to his trainer.

"I told you. But at least she seems better…" Sidney mused.

"Thank you, Maiden," he said softly, trying not to let his embarrassment show. Almost fainting from some common Absol's attack, what a brilliant move for Lavender's most powerful Haunter. He drank half the bitter potion. It was meant to be sprayed on, but for him they worked best when ingested, and the taste was truly awful, causing Cassius to almost gag.

Sidney walked over to the recuperating Cassius. "You seem fine now." She closed her bag and slung it around her shoulder. "I guess the least I can do is help you find a town. I promised if we battled I would."

Ginger was not so courteous. She saw her trainer talking to the strange trainer again and she darted over quicker than you could say 'angry Absol'. She got between Sidney and Cassius, hissing at the purple-haired one. "Don't start this again!"

"Haunt haunter haunt, haunt haunter haunt haunter haunter haunt haunter (Oh knock it off, I'm not going hurt your human friend,)" he said, rolling his eyes. "That would be appreciated," he added to Sidney, switching languages. He was relieved that she nor the other trainer weren't asking questions about the whole incident. Perhaps his town's reputation has preceded him? Whatever the reason, it was a relief, especially since he had a terrible headache from his nightshade attack earlier.

Speaking of the other trainer, Mike had since healed his Manectric with a Revive, not wanting to wait until he got to a Pokemon Center, however long that would take.

"_He's speaking to his Pokemon again. How creepy_." "That...attack you used earlier. Was that...Nightshade?" She frowned a bit. "Isn't that a Pokemon move...or is there something you're not telling me, Mister…" Mister what? "Oh, you never told me your name. Wait, did I ever tell you mine?" Talk about a blond moment.

"_Ah, there are the questions_." "I'm Cassius, leader of the Lavender Town gym in Kanto."

---

That's all for this chapter. Cassius is quite the mysterious one isn't he? Well more shall be revealed soon enough…or will it? Only way to find out is to keep on reading. Reviewing would be nice too. Even a "I liked this." would suffice. I'm so lonely *sad face*


	3. And So The Journey Begins

I guess this doesn't have enough Contest-shipping for this to be good enough. Sorry. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak, and not all original characters are mine, but I have been given permission to use them. Thank you and enjoy.

---

Ambulando Cum Mortuis: by runia24

Chapter 3: And So The Journey Begins

---

"I knew it!" Michael exclaimed. "I thought you seemed familiar."

Cassius nodded, and then turned back towards Sidney. "As for the Nightshade attack, there's a very good story behind that, but it's fairly long, and really best told just about anywhere that isn't a bright, cheerful spring field."

"That scary, huh?" was Sidney's sarcastic response, but she didn't mean any harm by it. "Well, if you're ready...the next town is west from here. Where you headed anyway?"

Ginger was sulking again, she lost her berry, and now Sidney, her best friend, was ignoring her. Why wouldn't she just listen to her and stay away from these strange ghosts?

"I'm trying to get to Fortree City," he said flatly. "There's a festival taking place there in less than a week, and I'm supposed to be there to help open the new temple they've built there, dedicated to the forest sprits," he answered. "If you're interested, I've heard there's a big tournament happening during the festival."

Michael's eyes lit up at the word "tournament." Of course, he was also going to Fortree as well to challenge the Gym Leader, Winona, for a Feather Badge.

The Misdreavus, Maiden by name, drifted back, falling in next to Ginger. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly, speaking in the Pokemon language of course. It was hard to believe that the sweet, timid little ghost had only moments before looked quite frightening indeed.

"Absoool... (Go away...)" Ginger still felt bitter after her humiliating defeat...but it did make her feel good to know that someone cared.

Maiden nodded, drifting back a few paces to keep an eye on the Absol from behind. She looked genuinely worried about the dark Pokemon, despite the feud that was supposed to exist between ghosts and dark-types.

"Fortree City? That's great!" Sidney looked positively delighted and she clapped her hands together. "I'm from there. Ginger and I lived there five years before I became a trainer. I know the place like the back of my hand."

"Really?" asked Cassius, "I've heard it's a beautiful city, but never had a chance to see it for myself." He didn't quite have the nerve to ask for more directions. How hard could it be to find such a big city once he got his bearings again, after all?

"Oh, it's really beautiful. Everyone lives in trees. And speaking of trees…" She turned around, walking away. "I need to stock up on some things before we go. Wait here."

The young woman had made her way over to a nearby evergreen. A vine, out of place, dangled from the branches. She tugged on it, checking its sturdiness, and started climbing.

"This is my base!" she called once she reached the top. It was a few minutes before she came down again, her bag looking a bit more heavy than before. "Ready when you are."

Cassius was a touch amused to see that the Fortree trainer was still living in a tree, even when she'd moved from the city. "I'm ready, then," he said, double checking to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything back at the battle ground. Misdreavus chirped her approval, examining the vine at the base of the tree with some considerable interest.

"Me too," the blond haired trainer chimed in, causing the other two trainers to look back at him.

"You're coming with us?" Sidney asked.

"Um, yeah. I was heading for Fortree anyway… to challenge the Gym Leader, so what are waiting for, let's go!"

Sidney smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, someone's in a cheerful mood. Do you even know where the place is? Or am I the only one here who does?"

The Absol didn't mind Michael so much. Cassius on the other hand…that dude gave her the creeps...and his Pokemon beat her to a pulp. One wondered how long it would take the little Pokemon to forgive the trainer.

"I've got a map to Fortree, but I'm a little lost even with it," he didn't mention the fact that he couldn't read maps to save his life. "By the way, you never gave me your name," he added, following the other two as they began walking. Misdreavus followed as well, several paces behind. She wasn't particularly fond of sunlight, but she hadn't been out of her Pokeball for awhile and was enjoying the chance at some exercise.

"Oh, you're right. How impolite of me, and to a Gym Leader no less…the name's Michael," he said to Cassius.

"And my name is Sidney Valentine. You already know Ginger. And I'll have to introduce you to the rest of the team sometime."

Cassius nodded, and turned to glance at Ginger for a moment, mentally connecting the name and the Absol's face. Unfortunately, it looked more like a glare coming from him.

With introductions out of the way, the three trainers started down the road towards Fortree, each with one Pokemon out of their ball: Ginger, Maiden, and Proton.

Sidney set her bag down on the ground next to a large boulder. "Break time. You want some lunch?" She opened her sack with the utmost care, but it slouched to the side, spilling its contents all over the ground. "All I have are berries…and now it looks like I have to clean them again." Ginger, who was off sniffing flowers…or trampling them… came over and plucked a very large red one from the ground. She then curled up next to Sidney and began munching away.

Michael leaned against a tree on the other side of the road and opened his backpack. "I always keep a large supply of Berries, just in case. You can have some if you like, I don't mind sharing," he said, handing a berry to his Manectric, who immediately started gnawing on it.

"I've brought some food of my own as well," said Cassius, digging through his own bag and fishing out the last of the food he'd brought with him. Five small containers of Pokemon food, and a sixth with Pokechow-filled dumplings, which drew less attention than if he ate it plain. There was a large tree near the boulder, which thankfully provided a fair bit of shade, so he decided to let his entire team out for a break.

Maiden was already out, so he next released a Dusclops, followed by a Banette and a Sableye. An exceptionally large Gengar was the last to come out, and he looked warily around to ensure the rest of the ghosts were safe before accepting a food dish from Cassius.

The female trainer followed Cassius's lead, releasing a baby Cubone, a Medicham, a Swablu, a Milotic, and finally a Mightyena, the same one that left his Pokeball earlier. Sidney evenly distributed the fruit according to each of their tastes. The baby Cubone crawled up onto Sidney's lap, expecting to be hand fed. Rex, the Mightyena, took his and carried it over to Ginger. He placed it on the ground and nudged it towards the distracted Absol, offering her his lunch...but she simply ignored him.

The rest of the ghosts took their lunches, then floated, walked, shuffled or crept over to the tree to eat. The Banette called to Cassius, asking if he was going to join them. "Haunter haunt, haunt, haunter haunter (human form, guys, you know the drill)" he replied, taking a seat near the boulder and pulling out a pair of chopsticks from his bag.

Misdreavus smiled at the Mightyena's actions, ah sweet spring romance. The Banette, however, just snickered, mockingly mimicking the Mightyena by offering her lunch to the large Gengar, who growled and told her to knock it off.

Rex noticed he was being mocked, and he stuck out his lower lip in a very human-like manner.

"This little guy is Taro," Sidney said, helping the tiny Cubone to eat his half a berry. "He's just a baby. His mother died before he was born, so I took him when he was just an egg. Now he thinks I'm his mother," Yes, you could really see the resemblance. "The Mightyena's name is Rex. He's really sweet. The Milotic is Silvien." The Milotic waved at Cassius with his tail. "The Medicham is Lulu and the Swablu is Wesley." They both blinked at Cassius, not sure what to think.

Cassius frowned inwardly for the Cubone, wondering how his mother had died. "Haunt haunter haunter (pleased to meet you all)" he said to her team of Pokemon, bowing a little. "The Misdreavus over there is Maiden, and there's Rook," he motioned to the Dusclops, "Godfather," the oversized Gengar, "Marionette," the Banette, "and Sneak" the Sableye.

Taking the not-so-subtle hint, Mike let all his Pokemon out for some fresh air. "This is Static," he began, pointing to a Raichu. "And this is Lighthouse, Quicksilver, Kaboom, and Shockbox," he then pointed to an Ampharos, Jolteon, Electrode, and Electabuzz in order. Mike then gave them all some berries, and the five joined Proton, chowing down.

"Haunt haunt haunter, haunt (pleased to meet you, too)," said Cassius politely to the electric trainer's team.

It was pretty easy for Cassius to recognize what Michael's specialty was, and he gave Maiden a worried look. The Misdreavus gave him a nod, as if to say "I'm okay", then turned back to her food, edging away from the electric group. The Gengar glared at Michael, apparently blaming him for worrying the shy green ghost Pokemon.

Michael took notice of this, and realizing that the Gengar's name was Godfather, it concerned him a bit. "Well, I guess my dad had a lot of influence on me. He's a Gym Leader in Kanto also. You might know him as Lt. Surge," Michael stated, as if it was no big deal.

"That certainly explains your choice of Pokemon," said Cassius, smiling. "I've met your father before, he was on the board of representatives that chose me as Lavender's Gym Leader," he added, hoping Lt. Surge hadn't found his, ah, unusual condition interesting enough to mention to his son.

Since the two men were on the topic of gym leaders, Sidney decided to join in. "You must know Koga then." Taro tried to climb onto her shoulder and she helped him up with her hand. "I was born in Fuchsia City. I wanted to be a ninja, and he happened to be the best instructor in the area at the time. That was before my family moved to Fortree. I was eleven then." The memory of leaving still pained her. "As you can well guess, I was really upset. Fortree's a...simple place. I hated it there until my father caught Ginger for me. She's been my only friend over the years."

"So you're both from Kanto, then?" asked Cassius, more of a statement then a question. "That's a fair coincidence. I've met Koga several times. He's the world's expert on poison Pokemon and I, ah, I train several Pokemon who are half poison," He motioned to the Gengar, who turned and glared at the other two trainers.

Sidney waved, trying to be nice. "Hi, Godfather." Then she said quietly to Cassius. "Is he, like, the leader of your Pokemon? He's pretty big for a Gengar." Unlike Ginger, who was small...even for an Absol.

"He's more like their protector. He's a bit moody when he's around the living though, so don't mind him if he isn't very friendly," replied Cassius, looking over at Godfather. "And he's always been that big, ever since he….well, ever since I've known him."

Rex was still somewhere nearby, watching Ginger. The Absol didn't have to look around to know that. The Milotic slid over to Pandora. "You're some fighter," he sang in Pokemon speak. "Your trainer must be very proud."

"Thanks!" said Pandora cheerily, the praise going immediately to his head. "I learned the Thunderbolt attack all by myself, I've been practicing it for years. But that surf attack of yours was pretty big, dunno how I'd've fared if I didn't have a type advantage."

"Yeah," replied the Milotic. "Not many have avoided my Surf attack. Thanks to you, now I know to be more wary when using it." He swayed in the wind, his drooping 'ears' blowing to and fro. "But I prefer the life of luxury. I was a regular Beauty Contest precipitant until Sidney decided to become a trainer. But if it wasn't for her, I would've never evolved...so fighting for her is the least I can do."

Ginger finished the remains of her berry in one big gulp, and left her spot to join the two conversing Pokemon. "What are you doing talking to him? He blew us into oblivion...and you're _praising_ him?" She rolled her eyes.

"Oh like you're one to criticize for talking when you're not supposed to, miss it's-not-over-'till-the-fat-Absol-sings," replied Pandora angrily, sticking out his tongue -- a very noticeable gesture on a Haunter. "You're just lucky Cassius didn't faint this time, or you'd be sorry."

"Oh, so now you're saying I'm fat?! Take that back you dumb ghost, you...or I'll Slash ya! Yeah, think you're so cool 'cause of your detached hands and...floatiness!"

"Calm down, Ginger," Silvien urged. "He didn't mean anything."

"I don't think you're fat!" Rex barked, running over. "Making fun of my girl, are you. I'll make you pay!"

"I am _not_ your girl! Go away, Rex!"

"Can't we all just get along?" Silvien groaned.

"Hey, guys, the Absol just insulted Haunters!" yelled Pandora. The rest of Cassius's team turned instantly towards Ginger, glaring. Maiden was the only one to echo Silvien's comments, trying to keep the two groups apart.

"Pandora's always making comments like that, don't take it personally," said Maiden. "And Pan, you know better than to get a dark-type upset like that, Cass told us to be on our best behavior. We're going to be traveling with these guys for awhile."

But Ginger wasn't listening. She was already charging up another Shadow Ball.

"Uh, Ginger?" the water Pokemon said quietly.

Back over where the trainers were Taro saw what was taking place and tried to get Sidney's attention by tugging on a lock of her black hair, but Sidney failed to notice.

"So what's it like being a famous Gym Leader?" she asked as a large** BOOM** sounded behind her.

"I think 'stressful' would be the word for it," replied Cassius, glaring at the battlefield. "Hang on, I need to go tie Pan's tongue in a knot before this gets any worse."

The ghost trainer got up from his seat, walking over to a soot-covered and very dizzy Pandora, who'd been hit full on by Ginger's attack. He put a hand on the furious Gengar's shoulder, a difficult task since Godfather was taller than him.

"Pandora, return," he said quietly, returning the angry ghost to his Pokeball. He then ensured that the back of his head was turned to the other trainers before he locked eyes with Ginger. "Haunt haunter haunter haunt haunter, haunter haunt haunter (If you have a problem with ghosts, take it up with me)," he hissed. Eerily enough, his violet eyes glowed a faint red as he spoke.

Kaboom was watching the Pokemon quarrel, and was annoyed by the yelling and shouting so much, he was ready to waltz on over and blow a fuse, quite literally. Mike's other Pokemon wisely decided to stay out of the little quarrel.

Maiden noticed Kaboom's irritation, and, not wanting anyone to get blown sky high, rushed over to tell him Cassius was handling it. "He's really good at dealing with situations like this, honest!" she pleaded. "Just please don't electrocute me, er, anyone please Mr. Electrode sir."

"If you say so…" Thankfully, Kaboom did back down and rolled back over to his fellow electric Pokemon. "But if you're wrong…"

"I think it was mostly Pandora's fault," said Cassius, putting away the aforementioned Haunter's Pokeball. "He's got a, well, a sense of humor a lot of Pokemon don't understand, I don't think you can blame your Absol for getting angry with him."

His eyes had returned to their usual brownish-purple shade, and he seemed to be oblivious to the fact that they'd been glowing seconds before.

"And you've earned yourself a timeout, young lady," And before Ginger could protest, she was stored back inside her Ultra Ball. "I've never seen her behave this badly. I'm really sorry...and I know I keep saying that."

She looked down at the black and yellow ball. It had been several years since it was last occupied by its Pokemon. And suddenly, a wave of guilt swept over Sidney. Had she done the right thing?

"Whoa! I've never seen her that mad before," Lulu butted in, joining the other Pokemon. She crossed her arms, squatting down.

"NO!" roared the Mightyena. "My Ginger!"

"Get over it, you overgrown mutt," Lu hissed, swatting him on the back of his furry head.

"It's really quite alright, and I can assure you Pandora will be receiving a stern talking to once we get to a Pokemon center," replied Cassius, turning after he spoke to the rest of his team. "These other Pokemon are going to be traveling with us for a fair while, as your _trainer _I'm asking you to cooperate with them," he said to them, using the human language despite the fact he was taking to Pokemon. "Anyone else starting a fight is liable to get a shadow ball in their face too, and it will serve you right."

Silvien shook his head, then slithered over to Sidney, touching the button of his Pokeball with his nose and returning to his place on her belt. The Cubone had been clinging to Sidney's hair the entire time, and now he sat perched on top of her head.

"You like it up there? Is it comfortable?" The tiny dinosaur Pokemon nodded his white head. "Alright, then you can stay up there...for now." She turned to Cassius. "He has severe separation anxiety. I kept him in his ball for too long."

The rest of Sidney's Pokemon wandered over to her, and she returned each of them to their Pokeballs, except Lulu, who was last in line. She tugged on Sidney's skirt, blinking up at her with the saddest looking eyes she could manage. "Alright. You can stay outside while Ginger's being punished."

Cassius called his team back too, clipping all six of his Pokeballs back onto his belt. Maiden had been getting tired of the light, and none of his other healthy Pokemon were travel friendly, so when the ghostly trainer packed up his bag and prepared to continue, he was without a Pokemon companion at his side.

"Shall we get going, then?" he asked, his tone indicating it was an honest question and not an irritated demand. He was eager to get to the next village, but now that he had a guide he had a fair bit of time to spare on his journey.

Michael followed suit, returning all his Pokemon but Lighthouse, who pulled off a similar routine that Lulu did. The electric trainer sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just don't cause any trouble." The Ampharos was claustrophobic, which meant he had to regularly be let out of his Pokeball. "I'm all set."

"Then let's go," Sidney laughed, taking off running. Taro nearly toppled off her head, but managed to hang on to the thin strands that made up his trainer's hair. Lulu did a type of victory flip, then chased after the young trainer using her short, thick legs. "Mediiii-cham! (Waaait up!)"

---

Wow, this chapter was much longer than I anticipated. Anyway, we got some group conflict between Ginger and the ghosts, and some other stuff too! Next chapter will have a super special awesome ghost story in it, a little late for Halloween, but it's going to be good I swear. Again, don't make me beg for you to click those green words and review.


End file.
